|
Physician support growing for
HAI More than 150 local
physicians are leading the way to build on the already strong base of HAI.
Greg Delong, MD, serves as physician liaison and John Givogre, MD, serves
as chair. Currently less than 25% of local physicians are engaged in
providing indigent care through existing facilities such as the Good News
Clinic, but through the efforts of HAI, that number is increasing. If you
are a physician or healthcare provider and would like to join us, please
complete the online application. |
Jackson EMC Foundation grant will help
provide health care for Uninsured indigent
Navigating the complex health care system
intimidates the best of us. For those with no insurance and no money,
getting medical services can present a seemingly insurmountable
obstacle. Hall County's Health Access
Initiative (HAI), a physician-led organization, has been working with a
network of volunteer doctors to provide care to low-income uninsured
residents for more than three years.
An outgrowth of the Hall County Medical Society, HAI has a network of
126 local physicians, representing 21 specialties, who donate care at no
charge. To be eligible for HAI services, residents must be between 18-64
years of
age, have a qualifying income level, be uninsured and ineligible for
Medicaid or other public programs. Clients receive physician referral,
medication assistance, services such as x-rays and lab work,
hospitalization if necessary and care management services. More than 800
individuals were referred to HAI in the first nine months of 2006.
The Jackson EMC Foundation has awarded HAI a $15,000 grant to help staff
a position that processes referrals, conducts screening interviews and
enrolls clients, as well as coordinates appointments with physicians,
arranges
diagnostic tests and follows up with clients.
Grants are funded by Jackson EMC members who participate in the
Operation Round Up program. Through the charitable program, members'
monthly electric bills are rounded up to the next dollar amount and the
"spare change" used to fund the Jackson EMC Foundation. More than 90
percent of Jackson EMC's nearly 189,000 individual accounts participate
in Operation Round Up. Grant applications from organizations and
individuals are reviewed and grants awarded by the Foundation's
volunteer board of directors.
Since the beginning of the program in October 2005, the Foundation has
awarded more than $1,014,739 in grants to 92 organizations and 29
individuals.
This program is funded by a
grant from the Medical Center Foundation. |
Did you know...
...20,000 people in Hall County do not have
insurance?
...that HAI's Medical Assistance program
already has 100 people enrolled who now have access to free medications?
...access to healthcare greatly reduces
employee absenteeism?
|
